Ask the New Idea Guru

[Jyiber]

First and foremost... do you have any particular animosity towards pie?

Then, feelings on card ideas where the player sacrifices their base mark card for a strong effect?

[Drake_XIV]

Do you think the game needs more solutions against Intargetable creatures?

*Immaterial

No, I do not feel it requires SOLUTIONS, but I would definitely like to see some more way to be able to interact with them in either a positive or negative effect.

[Drake_XIV]

If you were to remove a card from the game (just one) what would it be and why?

Personally, I do not feel that any card would be removed.  However, if I had to, I'd probably take out Nova, since it proves to be one of the bigger issues in balancing new card ideas.

[Marsu]

What about Fractal? It's a good card in itself, but it destroys so many new ideas, including all those 'Tribal' cards I personally like very much.

[Drake_XIV]

What do you think is an appropriate cost for mill, eg how much  would a spell that read "Destroy the top 3 cards of your opponents deck" cost?

I personally do no like the concept of negatively affecting an opponent's deck like that.  But it's still something worth pursuing.

Currently, there isn't much to compare it to, if any at all.  I'd approximate it to cost around 10 for that cost, basing it off of Shard of Bravery's forced draw.  However, seeing as Elements is built around 30 card decks and 6 allowable copies, milling 3 cards per card is a bit much, so the cost would be significantly higher.  To the point where I'd say it's pointless to try to gauge its cost since it wouldn't be playable.

For milling one card, which allows a maximum of 6 cards milled with the current card pool, I'd price it around 6|5 when considering the same things as above.

[Drake_XIV]

First and foremost... do you have any particular animosity towards pie?

Then, feelings on card ideas where the player sacrifices their base mark card for a strong effect?

Mm... Pie

It really depends on the effect, but I do not see any issue with indefinitely delaying your mark in exchange for another effect.  I feel, however, that the effect should require some sort of constant upkeep that the mark would have otherwise been able to maintain or something to that effect.

[Drake_XIV]

What about Fractal? It's a good card in itself, but it destroys so many new ideas, including all those 'Tribal' cards I personally like very much.

Fractal would be the second non-Shard card I would remove if I had to, after Nova, for the same reasons that it does limit what kind of new ideas could be suggested.  However, unlike Nova, it does come with a stiff price and drains all excess quanta, so it [sort of] fixes itself.

[Rutarete]

Y u triple post? (Seriously though: Each question doesn't need it's own post - they get enough attention just being answered)

Is there a point when a card can have too many interactions? Would it be detrimental?

[Drake_XIV]

Y u triple post? (Seriously though: Each question doesn't need it's own post - they get enough attention just being answered)

Is there a point when a card can have too many interactions? Would it be detrimental?

My computer is hating several forum options [specifically Modify and Quote] right now, so I'm trying to make due.

Well, what do you mean by having too many interactions?  As in it can be used with many things or it would have a variety of effects?

[Rutarete]

Well, what do you mean by having too many interactions?  As in it can be used with many things or it would have a variety of effects?

Can I have your opinion on both?

[Drake_XIV]

Well, what do you mean by having too many interactions?  As in it can be used with many things or it would have a variety of effects?

Can I have your opinion on both?

Well, I don't see an issue with it affecting many things.  In fact, that would be as expansive as any control or buff spell in the game right now, since they target a majority of the card pool with varying effects.  As long as the effect is consistent, it should be fine.

I assume what you had meant was the latter, similar to, for the sake of comparison, the RtR Charms, where there are multiple effects to one card where it isn't all of them, but only one.  In Elements, I don't think that would be for the best since with the current card pool, you essentially have multiple cards for one, which allows for other cards to take its place, which makes it overshadow cards with similar effects.

Of course, this can be remedied by a higher cost, but then that makes it a pointless idea since, for the sake of speed or consistency, it would be replaced by their cheaper counterparts.

My thoughts are that it's fine if it has two effects AT MOST, implemented as an IF/ELSE card [If card is Fire, +2/+0, else -3/-3].  Any more, and the design gets quickly cluttered and messy.

[TheAccuso]

http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,50417.msg1087438.html#msg1087438